AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmissions, but also on the longwave and shortwave radio bands.
164-645: WAKR (1590 AM ) is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Akron, Ohio , and known as "Soft Hits 93.5 FM". Locally owned and operated by Rubber City Radio Group, Inc., the station primarily services the Akron metropolitan area , including both Summit County and Portage County . The station's current format , launched on January 24, 2020 ( 2020-01-24 ) , features classic hits music and program features that are characteristic of full-service radio . In addition to carrying local news reports and top-of-the-hour newscasts from CBS News Radio , WAKR
328-487: A viral marketing campaign, Jones and Allen went around the city wearing t-shirts emblazoned "Adam and Bob", handing out two-dollar bills and pairs of concert tickets to the general public. The Adam and Bob Show soon became listener favorites, ranked at or near the top of the ratings in the Akron market throughout their entire tenure, and were even ranked among the top 25 morning shows nationwide by Radio & Records in
492-472: A "chain". The Radio Corporation of America (RCA), General Electric , and Westinghouse organized a competing network around its own flagship station, RCA's WJZ (now WABC) in New York City, but were hampered by AT&T's refusal to lease connecting lines or allow them to sell airtime. In 1926 AT&T sold its radio operations to RCA, which used them to form the nucleus of the new NBC network. By
656-534: A "stepping stone" for up-and-coming announcers, actors, and television presenters, in what would be informally known as the "WAKR Talent School" under S. Bernard Berk's guidance. Future Peter Gunn co-star Lola Albright joined WAKR after graduating from high school as a receptionist before finding additional work at WTAM in Cleveland. Peter Hackes worked as a newsman at WAKR in the late 1940s before going to CBS News and NBC News , later making notable cameos in
820-846: A 10 shilling receiver license fee. Both highbrow and mass-appeal programmes were carried by the National and Regional networks. The period from the early 1920s through the 1940s is often called the "Golden Age of Radio". During this period AM radio was the main source of home entertainment, until it was replaced by television. For the first time entertainment was provided from outside the home, replacing traditional forms of entertainment such as oral storytelling and music from family members. New forms were created, including radio plays , mystery serials, soap operas , quiz shows , variety hours , situation comedies and children's shows . Radio news, including remote reporting, allowed listeners to be vicariously present at notable events. Radio greatly eased
984-536: A brief stint at WJW, Richards starred in the Weathervane Playhouse stage production Yes and No before moving to Los Angeles, a chance meeting with two Hollywood press agents prompted him to go to the Warner Bros. Burbank studios . A 1944 promotional booklet issued by the studio promoting new talent signings said of Richards, "Walked into Warner Brothers studio. Asked for a job. Got it." Assuming
1148-570: A central station to all parts of the United States", he was unable to overcome the inherent distance limitations of this technology. The earliest public radiotelegraph broadcasts were provided as government services, beginning with daily time signals inaugurated on January 1, 1905, by a number of U.S. Navy stations. In Europe, signals transmitted from a station located on the Eiffel Tower were received throughout much of Europe. In both
1312-510: A coin flip determined the winning bid between Summit and WADC, as the other frequency available, channel 65, was not considered operable at the time. While initially based at the First Central Tower, and with a UHF mast affixed to the top of the building, WAKR, WAKR-FM and WAKR-TV moved the following year to new studios at the former Copley Theatre, which only had existed as a theater between March 1947 and October 1952. Even though
1476-551: A color commentator for Kent State Golden Flashes football broadcasts on WAKR, and co-hosted a weekly program with Kent State football coach Ed Chlebek on WAKR-TV; Phelps left the station in October 1982 for a position at KJAC-TV in Port Arthur, Texas . Denny Schreiner also served as WAKR and WAKR-TV's sports director prior to joining ESPN as lead play-by-play voice for their PBA Tour coverage. Reportedly under pressure from
1640-610: A concerted attempt to specify performance of AM receivers through the 1993 AMAX standard, a joint effort of the EIA and the NAB, with FCC backing... The FCC rapidly followed up on this with codification of the CQUAM AM stereo standard, also in 1993. At this point, the stage appeared to be set for rejuvenation of the AM band. Nevertheless, with the legacy of confusion and disappointment in the rollout of
1804-513: A confidential memo during negotiations over a proposed Knight Newspapers -Summit Radio merger John S. Knight and Roger G. Berk began talks of merging Summit/Group One and Knight Newspapers in late 1967, at a potential value of $ 6.6 million. To further enable the transaction, Knight Newspapers divested themselves of any associations in Scripps Howard properties, this included Knight re-purchasing Scripps Howard's 25 percent minority stake in
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#17327806923861968-635: A consortium, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), established on 18 October 1922, which was given a monopoly on broadcasting. This enterprise was supported by a tax on radio sets sales, plus an annual license fee on receivers, collected by the Post Office. Initially the eight stations were allowed regional autonomy. In 1927, the original broadcasting organization was replaced by a government chartered British Broadcasting Corporation . an independent nonprofit supported solely by
2132-564: A continuous-wave (CW) transmitter. Fessenden began his research on audio transmissions while doing developmental work for the United States Weather Service on Cobb Island, Maryland. Because he did not yet have a continuous-wave transmitter, initially he worked with an experimental "high-frequency spark" transmitter, taking advantage of the fact that the higher the spark rate, the closer a spark-gap transmission comes to producing continuous waves. He later reported that, in
2296-580: A few " telephone newspaper " systems, most of which were established in Europe, beginning with the Paris Théâtrophone . With this in mind, most early radiotelephone development envisioned that the device would be more profitably developed as a "wireless telephone" for personal communication, or for providing links where regular telephone lines could not be run, rather than for the uncertain finances of broadcasting. The person generally credited as
2460-463: A few hundred ( Hz ), to increase its rotational speed and so generate currents of tens-of-thousands Hz, thus producing a steady continuous-wave transmission when connected to an aerial. The next step, adopted from standard wire-telephone practice, was to insert a simple carbon microphone into the transmission line, to modulate the carrier wave signal to produce AM audio transmissions. However, it would take many years of expensive development before even
2624-476: A final review set forth by the commission on October 25, 1939, WJW's counsel stated that the station either made profits of less than $ 900 a year or had been operating at a loss since 1936, having paid out most of their income on employee salaries. (After WAKR's launch and a subsequent sale of the station, WJW moved out of Akron and into the Cleveland market in November 1943.) After the proceedings, sources close to
2788-520: A five-speaker public address system for Western Electric . Akron Beacon Journal publisher John S. Knight publicly showed skepticism in his column that the commission would even grant the permit, and could not justify the need for a third station. Both WJW and WADC objected to the establishment of another radio station in Akron, as did KXBY in Kansas City, Missouri ; despite those objections, John T. Brambill, an FCC examiner, recommended that
2952-516: A home audio device prior to the introduction of the high-fidelity , long-playing record in the late 1940s. Listening habits changed in the 1960s due to the introduction of the revolutionary transistor radio (Regency TR-1, the first transistor radio released December 1954), which was made possible by the invention of the transistor in 1948. (The transistor was invented at Bell labs and released in June 1948.) Their compact size — small enough to fit in
3116-563: A lack of adequate UHF channel tuners. Even with passage of the All-Channel Receiver Act , these problems which would not be totally resolved until Summit Radio successfully petitioned the FCC to amend channel allocations between Canton and Akron, allowing WAKR-TV to move to a reassigned channel 23 allocation at higher power, the change took place on December 1, 1967. WAKR-TV amassed a "seven figure" operating deficit from 1953 until
3280-474: A listening site at Plymouth, Massachusetts. An American Telephone Journal account of the December 21 alternator-transmitter demonstration included the statement that "It is admirably adapted to the transmission of news, music, etc. as, owing to the fact that no wires are needed, simultaneous transmission to many subscribers can be effected as easily as to a few", echoing the words of a handout distributed to
3444-511: A listening test is done in such a way that the listener who is assessing the sound quality of a component or recording can see the components that are being used for the test (e.g., the same musical piece listened to through a tube power amplifier and a solid-state amplifier), then it is possible that the listener's pre-existing biases towards or against certain components or brands could affect their judgment. To respond to this issue, researchers began to use blind tests , in which listeners cannot see
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#17327806923863608-417: A lullaby... Result! Freed did... but the baby didn't. Bee Offineer When Freed left the station on February 12, 1950, he attempted to resurface at WADC several days later on a program sponsored by an area record store. After one show, Berk sued Freed to enforce a non-compete clause preventing him from working at any station within a radius of 75 miles (121 km) from Akron for a full year. This clause
3772-487: A majority of early broadcasting stations operated on mediumwave frequencies, whose limited range generally restricted them to local audiences. One method for overcoming this limitation, as well as a method for sharing program costs, was to create radio networks , linking stations together with telephone lines to provide a nationwide audience. In the U.S., the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T)
3936-475: A minority share of a family company." Despite the failure to merge with Knight Newspapers, Summit/Group One would make one additional purchase: KLZ and KLZ-FM in Denver from Time-Life Broadcasting for $ 2.75 million on February 12, 1972. Locally, WAKR-FM had entered into separate programming with an easy listening format in the late 1960s; a power upgrade and placement on WAKR-TV's new tower in November 1967
4100-457: A national scale. The introduction of nationwide talk shows, most prominently Rush Limbaugh 's beginning in 1988, was sometimes credited with "saving" AM radio. However, these stations tended to attract older listeners who were of lesser interest to advertisers, and AM radio's audience share continued to erode. In 1961, the FCC adopted a single standard for FM stereo transmissions, which was widely credited with enhancing FM's popularity. Developing
4264-950: A new subsidiary , Group One Broadcasting, when the deal closed. While WAKR, WAKR-FM and WAKR-TV officially remained under Summit Radio control, Summit owned all of Group One's stock, and all three stations would formally be promoted as "Group ONE" stations in advertisements and were regarded as being a part of the chain in station profiles. Under the Group One name, the Berk family purchased KBOX and KBOX-FM in Dallas for over $ 1.2 million in 1967. Following founder S. Bernard Berk's death at age 69 on July 11, 1966, his widow Viola Berk took over Summit/Group One operations, ultimately handing them over in 1970 to WAKR's vice president and general manager Roger G. Berk, who also had been heavily involved with WAKR-FM and WAKR-TV's establishments. The surviving members of
4428-470: A new direction in television production with their Creative Technologies, Inc. firm, along with computerized programming and consulting; the deal was later attributed as one made at the height of the junk bond frenzy of the mid-late 1980s. WAKR-TV was retained by the Berk family under the Group One name; a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal jokingly mused, "does that mean that Channel 23
4592-461: A nightly weather segment on the TV station at 6:55 p.m., directly leading in to his nightly Top 40 program on WAKR, and also hosted The Hop , a local music and dance program. Charlie Greer also hosted a limited-run dance program devoted to big band music over WAKR-TV in 1958. Muni and Greer's former colleague Jack Ryan would later serve as the lead weatherman for WAKR-TV's evening newscasts throughout
4756-534: A partial solution to the problem of reproducing the sound of live orchestral performers by creating separation among instruments, the illusion of space, and a phantom central channel. An attempt to enhance reverberation was tried in the 1970s through quadraphonic sound . Consumers did not want to pay the additional costs and space required for the marginal improvements in realism. With the rise in popularity of home theater , however, multi-channel playback systems became popular, and many consumers were willing to tolerate
4920-527: A play on the 1590 kHz frequency being at the "top" of the medium wave band ). Along with the highly rated weekday programming, WAKR also offered multiple specialty programs. One of the longer running programs was the children-oriented Tip Top Tales , hosted by librarian Harriet Leaf, which aired from 1940 to 1957. A local version of the Blue/ABC program America's Town Meeting of the Air ran on WAKR that
5084-399: A policy allowing AM stations to simulcast over FM translator stations. Translators had previously been available only to FM broadcasters, in order to increase coverage in fringe areas. Their assignment for use by AM stations was intended to approximate the station's daytime coverage, which in cases where the stations reduced power at night, often resulted in expanded nighttime coverage. Although
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5248-623: A power amplifier in one box is called an integrated amplifier ; with a tuner added, it is a receiver . A monophonic power amplifier is called a monoblock and is often used for powering a subwoofer . Other modules in the system may include components like cartridges , tonearms , hi-fi turntables , digital media players , DVD players that play a wide variety of discs including CDs , CD recorders , MiniDisc recorders, hi-fi videocassette recorders (VCRs) and reel-to-reel tape recorders . Signal modification equipment can include equalizers and noise-reduction systems . This modularity allows
5412-486: A prototype alternator-transmitter would be ready, and a few years beyond that for high-power versions to become available. Fessenden worked with General Electric 's (GE) Ernst F. W. Alexanderson , who in August 1906 delivered an improved model which operated at a transmitting frequency of approximately 50 kHz, although at low power. The alternator-transmitter achieved the goal of transmitting quality audio signals, but
5576-423: A result, AM radio tends to do best in areas where FM frequencies are in short supply, or in thinly populated or mountainous areas where FM coverage is poor. Great care must be taken to avoid mutual interference between stations operating on the same frequency. In general, an AM transmission needs to be about 20 times stronger than an interfering signal to avoid a reduction in quality, in contrast to FM signals, where
5740-445: A separate facility on the city's western side but otherwise maintained the same on-air presentation—so much so that WAKR made headlines when they began using a new sounder for their local newscasts the following October, retiring a teletype -based musical introduction that had been in use for over 30 years. AM broadcasting The earliest experimental AM transmissions began in the early 1900s. However, widespread AM broadcasting
5904-452: A shirt pocket — and lower power requirements, compared to vacuum tubes, meant that for the first time radio receivers were readily portable. The transistor radio became the most widely used communication device in history, with billions manufactured by the 1970s. Radio became a ubiquitous "companion medium" which people could take with them anywhere they went. The demarcation between what is considered "experimental" and "organized" broadcasting
6068-427: A short-range "wireless telephone" demonstration, that included simultaneously broadcasting speech and music to seven locations throughout Murray, Kentucky. However, this was transmitted using induction rather than radio signals, and although Stubblefield predicted that his system would be perfected so that "it will be possible to communicate with hundreds of homes at the same time", and "a single message can be sent from
6232-471: A solid-state amplifier, the Quad 405, in 1978 after seeing the results from blind tests, but came to realize months later that "the magic was gone" until he replaced it with a tube amp. Robert Harley of The Absolute Sound wrote, in 2008, that: "...blind listening tests fundamentally distort the listening process and are worthless in determining the audibility of a certain phenomenon." Doug Schneider, editor of
6396-481: A stereo (stereophonic phonograph). In the world of the audiophile, however, the concept of high fidelity continued to refer to the goal of highly accurate sound reproduction and to the technological resources available for approaching that goal. This period is regarded as the "Golden Age of Hi-Fi", when vacuum tube equipment manufacturers of the time produced many models considered superior by modern audiophiles, and just before solid state ( transistorized ) equipment
6560-557: A third radio station for the city, after WADC and WJW ( 1210 AM ) ; WTAM in Cleveland also serviced Akron with its transmitter site in Brecksville , 20 miles (32 km ) north of the city. In addition to his law practice and business, Berk also had experience as an inventor. He held a patent for an early photoelectric cell that automatically dimmed automobile headlights for oncoming traffic at night, and also designed
6724-432: A third station, and after securing statements of support from 34 different civic, religious and community organizations in the city, the FCC reversed itself on August 8, 1939, granting the permit. Washington insiders don't give interested Akronites much chance of being granted a license for a third radio station in the rubber city ... I can't say we need it ... John S. Knight , in his Editor's Notebook column for
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6888-461: A widespread audience — dates back to the founding period of radio development, even though the earliest radio transmissions, originally known as "Hertzian radiation" and "wireless telegraphy", used spark-gap transmitters that could only transmit the dots-and-dashes of Morse code . In October 1898 a London publication, The Electrician , noted that "there are rare cases where, as Dr. [Oliver] Lodge once expressed it, it might be advantageous to 'shout'
7052-537: A year later, Knight Newspapers purchased The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News from Triangle Publications ; notably excluded from the purchase were WFIL , WFIL-FM and WFIL-TV . In 1977, three years after Knight merged his newspaper holdings into Ridder Publications, Inc. to form Knight Ridder , the company divested itself of the minority stake in Summit/Group One, valued at $ 3.3 million; Berk later said of Knight's divestment, "nobody wanted to own
7216-549: Is transparent , a properly conducted double-blind test can prove that a method is not transparent. Blind tests are sometimes used as part of attempts to ascertain whether certain audio components (such as expensive, exotic cables) have any subjectively perceivable effect on sound quality. Data gleaned from these blind tests is not accepted by some audiophile magazines such as Stereophile and The Absolute Sound in their evaluations of audio equipment. John Atkinson , current editor of Stereophile , stated that he once purchased
7380-468: Is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Most adults can't hear higher than 15,000 Hz. CDs are capable of reproducing frequencies as low as 0 Hz and as high as 22,050 Hz, making them adequate for reproducing the frequency range that most humans can hear. The equipment must also provide no noticeable distortion of the signal or emphasis or de-emphasis of any frequency in this frequency range. Integrated , mini , or lifestyle systems (also known by
7544-406: Is comparable to or better in audio quality than a standard analog broadcast". Despite the various actions, AM band audiences continued to contract, and the number of stations began to slowly decline. A 2009 FCC review reported that "The story of AM radio over the last 50 years has been a transition from being the dominant form of audio entertainment for all age groups to being almost non-existent to
7708-502: Is largely arbitrary. Listed below are some of the early AM radio broadcasts, which, due to their irregular schedules and limited purposes, can be classified as "experimental": People who weren't around in the Twenties when radio exploded can't know what it meant, this milestone for mankind. Suddenly, with radio, there was instant human communication. No longer were our homes isolated and lonely and silent. The world came into our homes for
7872-452: Is now a group of one?" Summit/Group One had previously filed a trademark for the WAKR call sign on August 6, 1985, this trademark has since been cancelled. As the trademark rights were transferred to DKM, WAKR-TV was changed to WAKC when the deal closed on October 31; the Berk family invested the profits from the sale into the TV station. Due to the sale, WAKR and WONE-FM moved operations into
8036-454: Is perhaps best known for his long run as a pioneering progressive rock air personality at WNEW-FM . From mid-1956 to 1960, Charlie Greer—nicknamed "The Skinny Boy"—hosted WAKR's Top O' the Morning program, later re-titled Happy Music . Greer also famously emceed a "Miss Downtown Akron" beauty pageant on a day in 1959 when multiple buildings in downtown Akron were demolished. Greer left
8200-645: Is simpler than later transmission systems. An AM receiver detects amplitude variations in the radio waves at a particular frequency, then amplifies changes in the signal voltage to operate a loudspeaker or earphone . However, the simplicity of AM transmission also makes it vulnerable to "static" ( radio noise , radio frequency interference ) created by both natural atmospheric electrical activity such as lightning, and electrical and electronic equipment, including fluorescent lights, motors and vehicle ignition systems. In large urban centers, AM radio signals can be severely disrupted by metal structures and tall buildings. As
8364-458: Is the music server consisting of one or more computer hard drives that hold music in the form of computer files . When the music is stored in an audio file format that is lossless such as FLAC , Monkey's Audio or WMA Lossless , the computer playback of recorded audio can serve as an audiophile-quality source for a hi-fi system. There is now a push from certain streaming services to offer hi-fi services. Streaming services typically have
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#17327806923868528-591: Is the Akron radio market affiliate for the Cleveland Browns , Cleveland Cavaliers , and Cleveland Guardians radio networks, as well as the Ohio State Sports Network . Prior formats on WAKR have included talk radio (in three distinct iterations), oldies and adult standards . Signed on by S. Bernard Berk on October 16, 1940 ( 1940-10-16 ) , WAKR was neither the first radio station to have been built in Akron, nor
8692-534: The Akron Beacon Journal , July 22, 1937 WJW and WADC filed protests against the ruling and requested a rehearing, along with two other stations that operated on the proposed 1530 kHz frequency: KITE (the former KXBY) and WBRY in Waterbury, Connecticut . KITE and WBRY objected on engineering grounds and would later withdraw their protests, while WJW and WADC objected on economic grounds. At
8856-521: The Miami Herald and Chicago Daily News , respectively. Despite remaining separate entities, WAKR and the Beacon Journal would often share news resources and cross-promote each other for the next 30 years. An FM adjunct, WAKR-FM (97.5), commenced regular operations on October 12, 1947; with its transmitter located on top of the First Central Tower, it was the first FM station licensed to
9020-653: The Academy of Music in Philadelphia and the Bell labs in New Jersey. Some multitrack recordings were made on optical sound film, which led to new advances used primarily by MGM (as early as 1937) and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (as early as 1941). RCA Victor began recording performances by several orchestras using optical sound around 1941, resulting in higher-fidelity masters for 78-rpm discs . During
9184-560: The Akron Beacon Journal . By April 1968, the merger talks evolved into Knight buying out the remaining 55 percent of Summit/Group One stock held by the Berk family, with Roger G. Berk being retained as manager for the group's stations in Dallas and Dayton, while Berk continued to lobby extensively to have a larger role within Knight Newspapers. The merger talks ultimately reached an impasse and collapsed by December 1968; less than
9348-630: The Associated Press . During WAKR's peak in the mid-1940s, C. E. Hooper ratings showed the station with as much as 55 percent of the Akron audience in mornings and 30 percent of the audience in afternoons; even local ratings for Don McNeill's Breakfast Club outperformed comparable ABC Radio affiliates by significant margins. WAKR took out multiple full-page advertisements in Broadcasting throughout 1945 and 1946 boasting of their ratings dominance, calling themselves "Tops in Akron" (also
9512-578: The Electronic Industries Association (EIA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) with the intention of helping AM stations, especially ones with musical formats, become more competitive with FM broadcasters by promoting better quality receivers. However, the stereo AM and AMAX initiatives had little impact, and a 2015 review of these events concluded that Initially the consumer manufacturers made
9676-625: The Emergency Alert System (EAS). Some automakers have been eliminating AM radio from their electric vehicles (EVs) due to interference from the electric motors , but the lawmakers argue that this is a safety risk and that car owners should have access to AM radio regardless of the type of vehicle they drive. The proposed legislation would require all new vehicles to include AM radio at no additional charge, and it would also require automakers that have already eliminated AM radio to inform customers of alternatives. AM radio technology
9840-493: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expressed concerns that this would reduce the effectiveness of emergency communications. In May 2023, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the United States introduced legislation making it illegal for automakers to eliminate AM radio from their cars. The lawmakers argue that AM radio is an important tool for public safety due to being a component of
10004-516: The Korean War well before any of the Cleveland market stations reported the news. Despite the touting of UHF signals as not being any different from VHF signals in a technical sense, along with optimistic words from S. Bernard Berk at launch that "about 99-44/100% of the Akron area will receive (WAKR-TV) without difficulty", the station immediately ran into issues with poor reception, transmission issues relating to inclement weather conditions, and
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#173278069238610168-599: The Moondog Coronation Ball , a landmark popular music event. WAKR hired Scott Muni from WSMB / New Orleans in early November 1956 as the station's overnight host; he would be promoted to host Request Review , the evening program that Freed once dominated, on July 8, 1957. Along with his on-air work, Muni served as the station's music director, despite no formal training in the profession, he used music trends in trade publications and sought feedback from teenage sock hops he would emcee. Just before leaving
10332-431: The electrolytic detector and thermionic diode ( Fleming valve ) were invented by Reginald Fessenden and John Ambrose Fleming , respectively. Most important, in 1904–1906 the crystal detector , the simplest and cheapest AM detector, was developed by G. W. Pickard . Homemade crystal radios spread rapidly during the next 15 years, providing ready audiences for the first radio broadcasts. One limitation of crystals sets
10496-632: The stage name Mark Stevens , his first theatrical appearance was a bit role in Passage to Marseille , and went to appear in over eighty feature films and forty different television programs. Art Fazzin was hired as Top O' the Morning host in January 1949, having worked previously at radio stations in North Carolina. In addition to mornings, Fazzin provided color commentary for Akron Zips football games, announced Soap Box Derby finals for
10660-430: The " capture effect " means that the dominant signal needs to only be about twice as strong as the interfering one. To allow room for more stations on the mediumwave broadcast band in the United States, in June 1989 the FCC adopted a National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) standard that limited maximum transmitted audio bandwidth to 10.2 kHz, limiting occupied bandwidth to 20.4 kHz. The former audio limitation
10824-471: The 1930s, Avery Fisher , an amateur violinist, began experimenting with audio design and acoustics . He wanted to make a radio that would sound like he was listening to a live orchestra and achieve high fidelity to the original sound. After World War II , Harry F. Olson conducted an experiment whereby test subjects listened to a live orchestra through a hidden variable acoustic filter. The results proved that listeners preferred high-fidelity reproduction, once
10988-603: The 1930s, most of the major radio stations in the country were affiliated with networks owned by two companies, NBC and CBS . In 1934, a third national network, the Mutual Radio Network , was formed as a cooperative owned by its stations. A second country which quickly adopted network programming was the United Kingdom, and its national network quickly became a prototype for a state-managed monopoly of broadcasting. A rising interest in radio broadcasting by
11152-504: The 1940s While WADC had an advantage of being a CBS Radio Network affiliate, WAKR built its reputation primarily through local programming alongside NBC Blue (renamed the Blue Network in 1943, then again as ABC Radio in 1945) offerings. WAKR has been often regarded as being one of the first radio stations in the United States to have established an active news department when it signed on, augmenting coverage from United Press and
11316-660: The 1940s two new broadcast media, FM radio and television , began to provide extensive competition with the established broadcasting services. The AM radio industry suffered a serious loss of audience and advertising revenue, and coped by developing new strategies. Network broadcasting gave way to format broadcasting: instead of broadcasting the same programs all over the country, stations individually adopted specialized formats which appealed to different audiences, such as regional and local news, sports, "talk" programs, and programs targeted at minorities. Instead of live music, most stations began playing less expensive recorded music. In
11480-456: The 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Ted Henry began his career as a reporter for WAKR and WAKR-TV in 1965. Sports coverage on WAKR would also find itself shown on WAKR-TV; this included Akron Zips football and basketball broadcasts, Wylie in particular soon became known as the "Voice of the Zips". WAKR-TV also touted itself as having broken news of the armistice agreement which formally suspended
11644-462: The 1970s and 1980s preferred to buy each component separately. That way, they could choose models of each component with the specifications that they desired. In the 1980s, several audiophile magazines became available, offering reviews of components and articles on how to choose and test speakers, amplifiers, and other components. Listening tests are used by hi-fi manufacturers, audiophile magazines, and audio engineering researchers and scientists. If
11808-547: The 1970s was the integrated music centre —which combined a phonograph turntable, AM-FM radio tuner, tape player, preamplifier, and power amplifier in one package, often sold with its own separate, detachable or integrated speakers. These systems advertised their simplicity. The consumer did not have to select and assemble individual components or be familiar with impedance and power ratings. Purists generally avoid referring to these systems as high fidelity, though some are capable of very good quality sound reproduction. Audiophiles in
11972-532: The AM radio industry in the United States developed technology for broadcasting in stereo . Other nations adopted AM stereo, most commonly choosing Motorola's C-QUAM, and in 1993 the United States also made the C-QUAM system its standard, after a period allowing four different standards to compete. The selection of a single standard improved acceptance of AM stereo , however overall there was limited adoption of AM stereo worldwide, and interest declined after 1990. With
12136-440: The Berk family also established a memorial college scholarship in S. Bernard Berk's name. (Roger G.) Berk wants to be Vice President-Broadcasting. The reason? Status! This is terribly important to him and you must know the man to understand his attitude. As I read it, Berk fears being 'shunted aside.' He craves recognition, doesn't want to be known forever as 'the man from WAKR.' More on this later. John S. Knight , from
12300-531: The British public pressured the government to reintroduce the service, following its suspension in 1920. However, the government also wanted to avoid what it termed the "chaotic" U.S. experience of allowing large numbers of stations to operate with few restrictions. There were also concerns about broadcasting becoming dominated by the Marconi company. Arrangements were made for six large radio manufacturers to form
12464-448: The FCC implemented a freeze on any additional television licenses that September 30, while it studied the possibility of adding additional channels via the UHF band. When the freeze was lifted, the FCC's Sixth Report and Order reassigned the proposed Akron license as one of two potential UHF signals for the market. Summit Radio won the license for WAKR-TV on channel 49 by September 4, 1952;
12628-400: The FCC told the Beacon Journal that the commission had been changing its focus to awarding permits unless there was an engineering issue and was no longer taking economic arguments into account. Following this final review, Berk was awarded federal authorization to construct WAKR on January 10, 1940, under his family-owned business Summit Radio Corp. Studios were set up on the ground floor of
12792-463: The FCC, WAKR, WONE-FM and the other Summit/Group One radio stations were sold to DKM Broadcasting, a unit of Dyson-Kissner-Moran, on July 15, 1986, for approximately $ 60–65 million. Employees found out about the sale when they were presented their paychecks; the notes also mentioned that negotiations had been underway between the two parties for six months. While expressing sadness at selling the radio group, Roger G. Berk asserted that Group One would enter
12956-584: The FM station was already boasting a strong audience and advertiser base, WAEZ was chosen by the staff after analyzing a computer query of all available call signs. WAKR's music focus evolved throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, becoming full-service adult contemporary centered around local personality and extensive sports coverage. News reporter Kenny Halterman worked at WAKR from 1961 until his retirement in 1982, Halterman also moonlit as an instructor at Kent State University and filed reports for WAKR-TV. Halterman
13120-509: The First Central Tower in downtown Akron—now known as the Huntington Tower —and WAKR signed up to be an affiliate of NBC's Blue Network and Thesaurus radio transcription service upon launch. Due to WAKR's frequency having been recently included for use for broadcast purposes, Berk's radio appliance store offered free of charge to change the tuning devices on any radios that did not go up to 1530 kHz . After being formally granted
13284-411: The Twenties when radio exploded can't know what it meant, this milestone for mankind. Suddenly, with radio, there was instant human communication. No longer were our homes isolated and lonely and silent. The world came into our homes for the first time. Music came pouring in. Laughter came in. News came in. The world shrank, with radio. The idea of broadcasting — the unrestricted transmission of signals to
13448-443: The U.S., for example) subject to international agreements. High-fidelity High fidelity (often shortened to Hi-Fi or HiFi ) is the high-quality reproduction of sound . It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion , and a flat (neutral, uncolored) frequency response within the human hearing range . High fidelity contrasts with
13612-694: The United States and France this led to a small market of receiver lines geared for jewelers who needed accurate time to set their clocks, including the Ondophone in France, and the De Forest RS-100 Jewelers Time Receiver in the United States The ability to pick up time signal broadcasts, in addition to Morse code weather reports and news summaries, also attracted the interest of amateur radio enthusiasts. It
13776-406: The advent of integrated multi-speaker console systems in the 1950s, hi-fi became a generic term for home sound equipment, to some extent displacing phonograph and record player . In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the development of stereophonic equipment and recordings led to the next wave of home-audio improvement, and in common parlance stereo displaced hi-fi . Records were now played on
13940-603: The affiliation. This competitive advantage would soon end, however, after WEWS became the ABC-TV affiliate for the Cleveland market. While WEWS had the larger audience by a commanding margin, both stations would fight for each other's viewership for the next four decades. The Berk family's broadcasting interests expanded when they purchased WONE ( 980 AM ) and WONE-FM (104.7) in Dayton from Brush-Moore Newspapers for $ 1.5 million in 1964. Both WONE and WONE-FM were assigned under
14104-523: The antenna wire. This meant that the full transmitter power flowed through the microphone, and even using water cooling, the power handling ability of the microphones severely limited the power of the transmissions. Ultimately only a small number of large and powerful Alexanderson alternators would be developed. However, they would be almost exclusively used for long-range radiotelegraph communication, and occasionally for radiotelephone experimentation, but were never used for general broadcasting. Almost all of
14268-482: The audience has continued to decline. In 1987, the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine requirement meant that talk shows, which were commonly carried by AM stations, could adopt a more focused presentation on controversial topics, without the distraction of having to provide airtime for any contrasting opinions. In addition, satellite distribution made it possible for programs to be economically carried on
14432-404: The characteristics of arc-transmitters . Fessenden attempted to sell this form of radiotelephone for point-to-point communication, but was unsuccessful. Fessenden's work with high-frequency spark transmissions was only a temporary measure. His ultimate plan for creating an audio-capable transmitter was to redesign an electrical alternator , which normally produced alternating current of at most
14596-530: The city of Akron. J.N. Bailey, executive director of the FM Association, a non-profit trade organization of FM broadcasters and enthusiasts, notably predicted at a WAKR-FM sponsored function of radio store owners that a network composed solely of FM stations having complete coverage throughout the contiguous United States could be established as early as 1948. As WAKR-FM was being established, Summit Radio Corp. and WADC filed competing applications for
14760-403: The commission estimated that fewer than 250 AM stations were transmitting hybrid mode signals. On October 27, 2020, the FCC voted to allow AM stations to eliminate their analog transmissions and convert to all-digital operation, with the requirement that stations making the change had to continue to make programming available over "at least one free over-the-air digital programming stream that
14924-455: The components being tested. A commonly used variant of this test is the ABX test . A subject is presented with two known samples (sample A , the reference, and sample B , an alternative), and one unknown sample X, for three samples total. X is randomly selected from A and B , and the subject identifies X as being either A or B . Although there is no way to prove that a certain methodology
15088-475: The continued migration of AM stations away from music to news, sports, and talk formats, receiver manufacturers saw little reason to adopt the more expensive stereo tuners, and thus radio stations have little incentive to upgrade to stereo transmission. In countries where the use of directional antennas is common, such as the United States, transmitter sites consisting of multiple towers often occupy large tracts of land that have significantly increased in value over
15252-437: The continuous wave AM transmissions made prior to 1915 were made by versions of the arc converter transmitter, which had been initially developed by Valdemar Poulsen in 1903. Arc transmitters worked by producing a pulsating electrical arc in an enclosed hydrogen atmosphere. They were much more compact than alternator transmitters, and could operate on somewhat higher transmitting frequencies. However, they suffered from some of
15416-434: The decades, to the point that the value of land exceeds that of the station itself. This sometimes results in the sale of the transmitter site, with the station relocating to a more distant shared site using significantly less power, or completely shutting down operations. The ongoing development of alternative transmission systems, including Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), satellite radio, and HD (digital) radio, continued
15580-567: The decline of the popularity of the traditional broadcast technologies. These new options, including the introduction of Internet streaming, particularly resulted in the reduction of shortwave transmissions, as international broadcasters found ways to reach their audiences more easily. In 2022 it was reported that AM radio was being removed from a number of electric vehicle (EV) models, including from cars manufactured by Tesla, Audi, Porsche, BMW and Volvo, reportedly due to automakers concerns that an EV's higher electromagnetic interference can disrupt
15744-569: The demonstration witnesses, which stated "[Radio] Telephony is admirably adapted for transmitting news, stock quotations, music, race reports, etc. simultaneously over a city, on account of the fact that no wires are needed and a single apparatus can distribute to ten thousand subscribers as easily as to a few. It is proposed to erect stations for this purpose in the large cities here and abroad." However, other than two holiday transmissions reportedly made shortly after these demonstrations, Fessenden does not appear to have conducted any radio broadcasts for
15908-649: The enthusiast to spend as little or as much as they want on a component to suit their specific needs, achieve a desired sound, and add components as desired. Also, failure of any component of an integrated system can render it unusable, while the unaffected components of a modular system may continue to function. A modular system introduces the complexity of cabling multiple components and often having different remote controls for each unit. Some modern hi-fi equipment can be digitally connected using fiber optic TOSLINK cables, USB ports (including one to play digital audio files), or Wi-Fi support. Another modern component
16072-600: The expectation is that listeners will primarily be tuning into the FM signal rather than the nominally "primary" AM station. A 2020 review noted that "for many owners, keeping their AM stations on the air now is pretty much just about retaining their FM translator footprint rather than keeping the AM on the air on its own merits". In 2018 the FCC, led by then-Commission Chairman Ajit Pai , proposed greatly reducing signal protection for 50 kW Class A " clear channel " stations. This would allow co-channel secondary stations to operate with higher powers, especially at night. However,
16236-445: The fall of 1900, he successfully transmitted speech over a distance of about 1.6 kilometers (one mile), which appears to have been the first successful audio transmission using radio signals. However, at this time the sound was far too distorted to be commercially practical. For a time he continued working with more sophisticated high-frequency spark transmitters, including versions that used compressed air, which began to take on some of
16400-422: The fall of 1983. Jones and Allen became best known for their many comedic segments and laid-back presentation, with an on-air chemistry so prevalent that they often concluded their shows in fits of laughter. Bob Friend was another mainstay who joined the station in 1967 doing production work, then moving into on-air duties hosting afternoon drive the following year. Friend, however, is perhaps best known for hosting
16564-509: The films Broadcast News and True Colors . He plans to do free lance TV work in the big city and don't be surprised if you see his face on some network video programs. Art Cullison, on Art Fazzin leaving WAKR in 1952 Shortly after signing on, the station hired a young announcer named Stephen Richards, who did announcing, acting, and engineering work, and broke the news of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on-air. After leaving WAKR for
16728-689: The first people in radio to use the "TGIF" initialism for the phrase "Thank God It's Friday", which was also used as a title for a WAKR-TV program, TGIF Party , in 1974. Healey left the station again on March 24, 1977, the result of a contract dispute. Meanwhile, after having left for New York City in 1960, Charlie Greer returned to WAKR on July 2, 1973, as afternoon drive host, he then took over as morning show host after Healey's first departure. Greer resumed work in afternoons when Healey returned, remaining in that timeslot until leaving in September 1980. Charlie Greer's replacement in afternoon drive, Bill Hart,
16892-401: The first time. Music came pouring in. Laughter came in. News came in. The world shrank, with radio. Following World War I, the number of stations providing a regular broadcasting service greatly increased, primarily due to advances in vacuum-tube technology. In response to ongoing activities, government regulators eventually codified standards for which stations could make broadcasts intended for
17056-557: The flagship of "Group One Broadcasting", a nine-station chain with broadcast outlets in Akron, Dayton, Dallas and Denver. The station remained in the hands of the Berk family until a series of ownership transfers starting in 1986 resulted in the Rubber City Radio Group purchasing it and WONE-FM (the former WAKR-FM) in 1993; Rubber City has operated both stations in tandem with WQMX into the present day. WAKR's studios are located in Akron's Wallhaven neighborhood , while
17220-497: The following December. S. Bernard Berk's son, Roger G. Berk, had his first job in the medium digging post holes at WAKR's transmitter site in the city's southeast side; the site remains in active use today. We had to send an engineer out with a reporter... they radioed it in (using cumbersome two-way radios strapped to their backs) and we would record it on discs. We didn't have tapes or wires; we actually put it on wax. Roger G. Berk, on WAKR's methods for filing news reports in
17384-624: The general public, for example, in the United States formal recognition of a "broadcasting service" came with the establishment of regulations effective December 1, 1921, and Canadian authorities created a separate category of "radio-telephone broadcasting stations" in April 1922. However, there were numerous cases of entertainment broadcasts being presented on a regular schedule before their formal recognition by government regulators. Some early examples include: Because most longwave radio frequencies were used for international radiotelegraph communication,
17548-417: The general public, or to have even given additional thought about the potential of a regular broadcast service, and in a 1908 article providing a comprehensive review of the potential uses for his radiotelephone invention, he made no references to broadcasting. Because there was no way to amplify electrical currents at this time, modulation was usually accomplished by a carbon microphone inserted directly in
17712-554: The isolation of rural life. Political officials could now speak directly to millions of citizens. One of the first to take advantage of this was American president Franklin Roosevelt , who became famous for his fireside chats during the Great Depression . However, broadcasting also provided the means to use propaganda as a powerful government tool, and contributed to the rise of fascist and communist ideologies. In
17876-507: The job of a TV journalist has many repetitive actions, the substance of the job, the news, almost never repeats itself. This is something I discovered during my first serious job when I worked at WAKR TV and Radio in Akron. I spent three years there and loved the fact that the sense of discovery with my job changed every day as the news would change. Ted Henry From the start, WAKR personalities also appeared on WAKR-TV; including Jack Fitzgibbons, Bill Murphy and Bob Wylie. Scott Muni hosted
18040-411: The lack of any way to amplify the signals meant they were somewhat weak. On December 21, 1906, Fessenden made an extensive demonstration of the new alternator-transmitter at Brant Rock, Massachusetts, showing its utility for point-to-point wireless telephony, including interconnecting his stations to the wire telephone network. As part of the demonstration, speech was transmitted 18 kilometers (11 miles) to
18204-419: The late 1960s and 1970s, top 40 rock and roll stations in the U.S. and Canada such as WABC and CHUM transmitted highly processed and extended audio to 11 kHz, successfully attracting huge audiences. For young people, listening to AM broadcasts and participating in their music surveys and contests was the social media of the time. In the late 1970s, spurred by the exodus of musical programming to FM stations,
18368-407: The late-evening shift on WAKR, an hour-long portion of which was named The Dream Machine , devoted to dream analysis provided by Friend from people calling in to the station. The Dream Machine feature became so popular that Bob Friend continued to host speaking engagements with different community groups relating to dream interpretations for many years after it was cancelled in 1991. Accentuating
18532-625: The license on October 16, 1940, WAKR took to the air that evening with a grand opening ceremony emceed by Milton Cross , host of the NBC Blue game show Information Please , along with NBC Blue's Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts . Initially at 1530 kHz with 1,000 watts , WAKR was moved to 1590 kHz on March 28, 1941, as a result of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement , and had power output raised to 5,000 watts
18696-468: The lone television channel assigned to Akron, originally intended as a VHF license on channel 11. The applications were filed at the same time WEWS-TV commenced operations as the first television station in Ohio. Both applications remained under review and went before a commission hearing on July 15, 1948, and WAKR had gone so far as to make a purchase order for VHF transmitting equipment from RCA , before
18860-491: The lower-quality " lo-fi " sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment, AM radio , or the inferior quality of sound reproduction that can be heard in recordings made until the late 1940s. Bell Laboratories began experimenting with various recording techniques in the early 1930s. Performances by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra were recorded in 1931 and 1932 using telephone lines between
19024-434: The manufacturer to allow piecemeal repairs. Although some high-end audio manufacturers do produce integrated systems, such products are generally disparaged by audiophiles , who prefer to build a system from separates (or components ), often with each item from a different manufacturer specialising in a particular component. This provides the most flexibility for piece-by-piece upgrades and repairs. A preamplifier and
19188-399: The marketplace decide" which was best. The lack of a common standard resulted in consumer confusion and increased the complexity and cost of producing AM stereo receivers. In 1993, the FCC again revised its policy, by selecting C-QUAM as the sole AM stereo implementation. In 1993, the FCC also endorsed, although it did not make mandatory, AMAX broadcasting standards that were developed by
19352-432: The message, spreading it broadcast to receivers in all directions". However, it was recognized that this would involve significant financial issues, as that same year The Electrician also commented "did not Prof. Lodge forget that no one wants to pay for shouting to the world on a system by which it would be impossible to prevent non-subscribers from benefiting gratuitously?" On January 1, 1902, Nathan Stubblefield gave
19516-416: The move to channel 23 and lost significant amounts of money for the majority of its existence; Summit Radio relied on profits from WAKR to keep the TV station solvent. WAKR-TV became an ABC-TV affiliate when they signed on, owing to WAKR's existing ABC affiliation; Berk attributed the recent merger with United Paramount Theaters to create American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres as a determining factor for
19680-448: The multiple incompatible AM stereo systems, and failure of the manufacturers (including the auto makers) to effectively promote AMAX radios, coupled with the ever-increasing background of noise in the band, the general public soon lost interest and moved on to other media. On June 8, 1988, an International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-sponsored conference held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil adopted provisions, effective July 1, 1990, to extend
19844-537: The necessity of having to transmit a high power carrier wave to overcome ground losses, and the large antenna radiators required at the low broadcast frequencies, but can be sent over long distances via the ionosphere at night; however, they are much more susceptible to interference, and often have lower audio fidelity. Thus, AM broadcasters tend to specialize in spoken-word formats, such as talk radio , all-news radio and sports radio , with music formats primarily for FM and digital stations. People who weren't around in
20008-405: The new frequencies. It was now estimated that the expanded band could accommodate around 300 U.S. stations. However, it turned out that the number of possible station reassignments was much lower, with a 2006 accounting reporting that, out of 4,758 licensed U.S. AM stations, only 56 were now operating on the expanded band. Moreover, despite an initial requirement that by the end of five years either
20172-428: The new policy, by 2011 there were approximately 500 in operation, and as of 2020 approximately 2,800 of the 4,570 licensed AM stations were rebroadcasting on one or more FM translators. In 2009 the FCC stated that "We do not intend to allow these cross-service translators to be used as surrogates for FM stations". However, based on station slogans, especially in the case of recently adopted musical formats, in most cases
20336-433: The noise and distortion introduced by early sound equipment was removed. Beginning in 1948, several innovations created the conditions that made major improvements in home audio quality possible: In the 1950s, audio manufacturers employed the phrase high fidelity as a marketing term to describe records and equipment intended to provide faithful sound reproduction. Many consumers found the difference in quality compared to
20500-488: The older terms music centre or midi system ) contain one or more sources such as a CD player , a tuner , or a cassette tape deck together with a preamplifier and a power amplifier in one box. A limitation of an "integrated" system is that failure of any one component can possibly lead to the need to replace the entire unit, as components are not readily swapped in or out of a system merely by plugging and unplugging cables, and may not even have been made available by
20664-544: The oldest surviving station, but has had the most measured historical impact of any broadcast outlet in the city, especially during its first 50 years of operation. During its creative and ratings pinnacle in the 1940s and 1950s, WAKR employed a succession of announcers who would find greater success elsewhere, with Alan Freed , Scott Muni and Art Fleming being the most famous of alumni. WAKR's sustained success yielded both FM adjunct WAKR-FM (97.5) in 1947 and TV outlet WAKR-TV (channel 49, later 23) in 1953, and culminated as
20828-673: The online Soundstage network, argued the opposite in 2009. He stated: "Blind tests are at the core of the decades' worth of research into loudspeaker design done at Canada's National Research Council (NRC). The NRC researchers knew that for their result to be credible within the scientific community and to have the most meaningful results, they had to eliminate bias, and blind testing was the only way to do so." Many Canadian companies such as Axiom, Energy, Mirage, Paradigm, PSB, and Revel use blind testing extensively in designing their loudspeakers. Audio professional Dr. Sean Olive of Harman International shares this view. Stereophonic sound provided
20992-411: The original station or its expanded band counterpart had to cease broadcasting, as of 2015 there were 25 cases where the original standard band station was still on the air, despite also operating as an expanded band station. HD Radio is a digital audio broadcasting method developed by iBiquity . In 2002 its "hybrid mode", which simultaneously transmits a standard analog signal as well as a digital one,
21156-433: The overheating issues of needing to insert microphones directly in the transmission antenna circuit. Vacuum tube transmitters also provided high-quality AM signals, and could operate on higher transmitting frequencies than alternator and arc transmitters. Non-governmental radio transmissions were prohibited in many countries during World War I, but AM radiotelephony technology advanced greatly due to wartime research, and after
21320-429: The permit be granted. The FCC, however, reversed that examiner's ruling on May 11, 1938, citing that there was "no lack of radio broadcast facilities and service in Akron, Ohio" and that Berk's party did not propose "a program of research and experimentation" to the development of high-fidelity broadcasting. Berk appealed the decision, claiming that the commission ignored testimony from Akron officials and leaders desiring
21484-441: The primary early developer of AM technology is Canadian-born inventor Reginald Fessenden . The original spark-gap radio transmitters were impractical for transmitting audio, since they produced discontinuous pulses known as " damped waves ". Fessenden realized that what was needed was a new type of radio transmitter that produced steady "undamped" (better known as " continuous wave ") signals, which could then be "modulated" to reflect
21648-650: The reception of AM transmissions and hurt the listening experience, among other reasons. However the United States Congress has introduced a bill to require all vehicles sold in the US to have an AM receiver to receive emergency broadcasts. The FM broadcast band was established in 1941 in the United States, and at the time some suggested that the AM band would soon be eliminated. In 1948 wide-band FM's inventor, Edwin H. Armstrong , predicted that "The broadcasters will set up FM stations which will parallel, carry
21812-643: The right formula." Jack Ryan also made his debut at WAKR in June 1956 as the late-morning host; unlike Muni and Greer, Ryan remained at the station in that time slot until retiring at the end of 1986. In April 1946, Akron Beacon Journal publisher John S. Knight, who had been previously critical of the efforts to establish WAKR, purchased a 45 percent interest of Summit Radio Corp. for an undisclosed amount; no changes in management or operations came with this transaction. Knight's stock acquisition came after purchasing ownership stakes in both Miami 's WQAM and Chicago 's WIND , as his fledgling newspaper chain owned both
21976-799: The same deficiencies. The lack of any means to amplify electrical currents meant that, like the alternator transmitters, modulation was usually accomplished by a microphone inserted directly in the antenna wire, which again resulted in overheating issues, even with the use of water-cooled microphones. Thus, transmitter powers tended to be limited. The arc was also somewhat unstable, which reduced audio quality. Experimenters who used arc transmitters for their radiotelephone research included Ernst Ruhmer , Quirino Majorana , Charles "Doc" Herrold , and Lee de Forest . Advances in vacuum tube technology (called "valves" in British usage), especially after around 1915, revolutionized radio technology. Vacuum tube devices could be used to amplify electrical currents, which overcame
22140-400: The same program, as over their AM stations... eventually the day will come, of course, when we will no longer have to build receivers capable of receiving both types of transmission, and then the AM transmitters will disappear." However, FM stations actually struggled for many decades, and it was not until 1978 that FM listenership surpassed that of AM stations. Since then the AM band's share of
22304-506: The six to eight channels required in a home theater. In addition to spatial realism, the playback of music must be subjectively free from noise, such as hiss or hum, to achieve realism. The compact disc (CD) provides about 90 decibels of dynamic range , which exceeds the 80 dB dynamic range of music as normally perceived in a concert hall. Audio equipment must be able to reproduce frequencies high enough and low enough to be realistic. The human hearing range, for healthy young persons,
22468-410: The sounds being transmitted. Fessenden's basic approach was disclosed in U.S. Patent 706,737, which he applied for on May 29, 1901, and was issued the next year. It called for the use of a high-speed alternator (referred to as "an alternating-current dynamo") that generated "pure sine waves" and produced "a continuous train of radiant waves of substantially uniform strength", or, in modern terminology,
22632-661: The station for WMCA in New York City in May 1958, Muni was honored by the Akron Junior Chamber of Commerce as "Man of the Month" for hosting a sock hop that benefited a local children's home . In late 1959, Muni would find himself the subject of unwanted attention when he was questioned by a congressional investigation into payola , the same investigation that enveloped Freed's career and resulted in his shows at WNEW-TV and WABC ( 770 AM ) being cancelled. Muni, however,
22796-460: The station in November 1960 to join WABC upon that station's conversion to a Top 40 format, teaming up with former WAKR colleague Scott Muni in the process as part of WABC's "Swingin' Seven at 77". When reporting about Greer's departure from the station and noting the alumni that already had preceded him, Akron Beacon Journal writer Dick Shippy commented, "...whoever does the picking at WAKR must have
22960-513: The station transmitter is located in the city's southeast side. In addition to a standard analog transmission , WAKR's programming is relayed over low-power Akron translator W228EL ( 93.5 FM ) and is available online. S. Bernard Berk, a practicing attorney and electrical appliance store operator in Akron, first filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on January 6, 1937, to establish
23124-768: The station's prolific sports coverage, Mike Snyder was named sports director for WAKR in September 1982, announcing games for the Kent State Golden Flashes, the Akron Zips, and the Cleveland Force . Currently the sports director for WTAM and in-studio host for the Cleveland Cavaliers Radio Network , Snyder left the station on October 20, 1984, after competitor WSLR picked up the local rights to Force radio broadcasts. Jeff Phelps began his broadcast career in 1981 as
23288-466: The station, and hosted various other daytime programs. Fazzin left the station on January 11, 1952, to pursue freelance work in New York City, leading Beacon Journal writer Art Cullison to predict, "don't be surprised if you see his face on some network video programs." Using his middle name for the stage name Art Fleming , Fazzin became best known as the first host of the television game show Jeopardy! Perhaps WAKR's most famous personality in this era
23452-411: The technology for AM broadcasting in stereo was challenging due to the need to limit the transmissions to a 20 kHz bandwidth, while also making the transmissions backward compatible with existing non-stereo receivers. In 1990, the FCC authorized an AM stereo standard developed by Magnavox, but two years later revised its decision to instead approve four competing implementations, saying it would "let
23616-464: The then-standard AM radios and 78-rpm records readily apparent and bought high-fidelity phonographs and 33⅓ LPs such as RCA 's New Orthophonics and London's FFRR (Full Frequency Range Recording, a UK Decca system). Audiophiles focused on technical characteristics and bought individual components, such as separate turntables, radio tuners, preamplifiers , power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Some enthusiasts even assembled their loudspeaker systems, with
23780-401: The translator stations are not permitted to originate programming when the "primary" AM station is broadcasting, they are permitted to do so during nighttime hours for AM stations licensed for daytime-only operation. Prior to the adoption of the new policy, as of March 18, 2009, the FCC had issued 215 Special Temporary Authority grants for FM translators relaying AM stations. After creation of
23944-496: The upper end of the Region 2 AM broadcast band, by adding ten frequencies which spanned from 1610 kHz to 1700 kHz. At this time it was suggested that as many as 500 U.S. stations could be assigned to the new frequencies. On April 12, 1990, the FCC voted to begin the process of populating the expanded band, with the main priority being the reduction of interference on the existing AM band, by transferring selected stations to
24108-548: The war the availability of tubes sparked a great increase in the number of amateur radio stations experimenting with AM transmission of news or music. Vacuum tubes remained the central technology of radio for 40 years, until transistors began to dominate in the late 1950s, and are still used in the highest power broadcast transmitters. Unlike telegraph and telephone systems, which used completely different types of equipment, most radio receivers were equally suitable for both radiotelegraph and radiotelephone reception. In 1903 and 1904
24272-404: The youngest demographic groups. Among persons aged 12–24, AM accounts for only 4% of listening, while FM accounts for 96%. Among persons aged 25–34, AM accounts for only 9% of listening, while FM accounts for 91%. The median age of listeners to the AM band is 57 years old, a full generation older than the median age of FM listeners." In 2009, the FCC made a major regulatory change, when it adopted
24436-486: Was Alan Freed , who joined WAKR in June 1945 at the age of 23 after previous work in Youngstown and New Castle, Pennsylvania . Known on-air as "The Old Knuclehead", Freed quickly became a local favorite at the station, hosting a nightly popular music program, Request Review , and an afternoon program, Jukebox Serenade . Freed also hosted a daytime program aimed at the bobby soxer audience early on at WAKR; when that
24600-572: Was 15 kHz resulting in bandwidth of 30 kHz. Another common limitation on AM fidelity is the result of receiver design, although some efforts have been made to improve this, notably through the AMAX standards adopted in the United States. AM broadcasts are used on several frequency bands. The allocation of these bands is governed by the ITU 's Radio Regulations and, on the national level, by each country's telecommunications administration (the FCC in
24764-411: Was aimed at the teenage and young adult audience, championed by S. Bernard Berk's wife, Viola Berk. Starting on January 13, 1945 ( 1945-01-13 ) , WAKR broadcast weekly productions from Kent State University 's Radio Workshop on Saturday mornings; this continued until 1950 when the university established WKSU-FM . Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, WAKR became famous in the industry as being
24928-556: Was also named as program director. Many times we would get off the air and be exhausted from laughing so much. I remember saying, "You know, Bob (Allen), these are the good old days." And they were. Adam Jones The station hired the duo of Adam Jones (Robert Ocepek) and Bob Allen (Gorden Van Waes) for morning drive on August 21, 1978, after previous work at WQUA in Moline, Illinois and WPTF in Raleigh, North Carolina . As part of
25092-474: Was approved by the FCC for use by AM stations, initially only during daytime hours, due to concerns that during the night its wider bandwidth would cause unacceptable interference to stations on adjacent frequencies. In 2007 nighttime operation was also authorized. The number of hybrid mode AM stations is not exactly known, because the FCC does not keep track of the stations employing the system, and some authorized stations have later turned it off. But as of 2020
25256-419: Was concurrent with adding coverage of Kent State Golden Flashes basketball games. The FM station also began broadcasting in quadraphonic stereo in 1972. Even with all of those changes, the call sign was changed to WAEZ on July 9, 1973, in order to establish a distinct identity for it, compared to WAKR and WAKR-TV. Summit/Group One vice president Alfred G. Grosby expressed regret that it did not occur sooner, as
25420-470: Was dropped from the lineup, the station added an evening show hosted by Freed titled Wax Works . The station also launched an phone participation contest program hosted by Freed in 1948, entitled Hello, Cinderella . After an ABC Radio program hosted by Paul Whiteman was cancelled, WAKR declined to pick up a replacement program offered by ABC and Freed's daytime show was reinstated, giving him over five hours of airtime every day. Even with his popularity, Freed
25584-400: Was immediately recognized that, much like the telegraph had preceded the invention of the telephone, the ability to make audio radio transmissions would be a significant technical advance. Despite this knowledge, it still took two decades to perfect the technology needed to make quality audio transmissions. In addition, the telephone had rarely been used for distributing entertainment, outside of
25748-509: Was included in a contract Freed signed in 1948, at the height of his popularity at WAKR, and has been used as a model for broadcasters ever since. After exhausting his legal appeals and on the brink of financial ruin, Freed surfaced for a brief time at WXEL (channel 9) , then joined WJW ( 850 AM ) in Cleveland after the non-compete finally ended; it is at WJW where he made history coining the phrase "Rock and Roll" for rhythm and blues recordings played on his program, and where he presided over
25912-451: Was introduced to the market, subsequently replacing tube equipment as the mainstream technology. In the 1960s, the FTC with the help of the audio manufacturers came up with a definition to identify high-fidelity equipment so that the manufacturers could clearly state if they meet the requirements and reduce misleading advertisements. A popular type of system for reproducing music beginning in
26076-703: Was not established until the 1920s, following the development of vacuum tube receivers and transmitters. AM radio remained the dominant method of broadcasting for the next 30 years, a period called the " Golden Age of Radio ", until television broadcasting became widespread in the 1950s and received much of the programming previously carried by radio. Later, AM radio's audiences declined greatly due to competition from FM ( frequency modulation ) radio, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), satellite radio , HD (digital) radio , Internet radio , music streaming services , and podcasting . Compared to FM or digital transmissions , AM transmissions are more expensive to transmit due to
26240-564: Was part of a news department for a radio station that, at its peak in the 1970s, employed 12 full-time reporters. Jerry Healey joined the station in August 1967 calling games for the Akron Vulcans during their lone season in the Continental Football League ; then became morning host and sports director that September, delivering sports updates on his show with Bickersons -style alter egos "Sam and Serena", and
26404-430: Was reportedly fired temporarily in 1948 for violating studio rules, later accounts suggested it was due to his failure to show up for several days in a row. Many a Hollywood star would envy (Alan Freed's) fan mail... which averages about 500 letters and postcards a day... plus telegrams and special delivery epistles... A well-meaning mother was having trouble getting her baby to sleep... so she called WAKR to have Alan sing
26568-473: Was the first organization to create a radio network, and also to promote commercial advertising, which it called "toll" broadcasting. Its flagship station, WEAF (now WFAN) in New York City, sold blocks of airtime to commercial sponsors that developed entertainment shows containing commercial messages . AT&T held a monopoly on quality telephone lines, and by 1924 had linked 12 stations in Eastern cities into
26732-406: Was the lack of amplifying the signals, so listeners had to use earphones , and it required the development of vacuum-tube receivers before loudspeakers could be used. The dynamic cone loudspeaker , invented in 1924, greatly improved audio frequency response over the previous horn speakers, allowing music to be reproduced with good fidelity. AM radio offered the highest sound quality available in
26896-531: Was the lead play-by-play voice for Akron Zips football and basketball. Healey became the first president of the Akron Press Club upon its 1971 formation and hosted a daily half-hour variety show over WAKR-TV. He left WAKR in November 1973 to focus on broadcast productions and sports commentary, notably developing and holding a patent for "Quickie Golf", but returned in March 1976. Healey was reputedly one of
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